Dubai- In a historic move, the UAE on this Sunday informed the vital changes to the citizenship law, to permit for the accumulation of foreign investors, doctors, scientists, artists, and talented people along with their families.
The choice to give people with exceptional talents and their families Emirati citizenship aims to welcome them as members of part of the UAE society, providing the social stability of these people in the country hence increasing the overall national development process.
The movements, taken upon the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, were given permission by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on this Saturday.
We adopted law amendments that allow granting the UAE citizenship to investors, specialized talents & professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. The new directives aim to attract talents that contribute to our development journey.
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) January 30, 2021
This verdict clarified the categories of the people who can be given citizenship, under specific conditions. In incorporation to providing citizenship to the families-the partner and children of this specialized and skilled segment, the law permits for them to also keep their current citizenship, which is a huge change to the previous rule that doesn’t provide for dual citizenship.
The UAE cabinet, local Emiri courts & executive councils will nominate those eligible for the citizenship under clear criteria set for each category. The law allows receivers of the UAE passport to keep their existing citizenship.
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) January 30, 2021
Requirements
The law explained terms and conditions on which citizenship can be granted:
Investors: Must own a property in the UAE
Medical doctors and skilled professionals: Must be specialized in a unique scientific field that is needed by the UAE, have put up to studies and research that have scientific value in their field, have about 10 years of experience in that field along with the membership in a prestigious professional organization in his area of expertise.
Scientists: Must be an active researcher in their field at a university, a research institute, or the private sector, having 10 years of experience in that field, have scientific contributions- providing to won a prestigious scientific award, or having obtained significant funding for their research for 10 years, in addition to a recommendation letter from a credited scientific institute in the UAE.
Talented people: they must contain a minimum of one patent certified by the UAE Ministry of Economy or any recognized relevant international body, which has a real value to the UAE economy, along with a recommendation letter from the UAE Ministry of Economy.
Intellectuals and artists: They must be explorers in culture, arts, and other talents with a minimum of one international award in those talents along with a recommendation letter from the UAE relevant bodies.
Conditions
The new law specifies the terms and conditions of the allowing of citizenship to those talented segments, such as the oath and swearing in allegiance to the UAE, a pledge to uphold and respect the laws of the country, notifying the relevant authority if they get new citizenship or lost one.
Whereas, the changes also provided the rights of those who are granted UAE citizenship under the new law, such as the right to build and own companies in the UAE, buy and own land and real estate property in the country, along with any other extend to them by the federal bodies, with the approval of the Cabinet, or by local government bodies.
This step also provides that the UAE citizenship can be taken off from those categories in such cases as the violation of the legal commitment or losing at least one of the conditions on which a person would be given citizenship.
Mechanism
The new law particulates the citizenship process, providing that those who fall under this citizenship would be nominated through the Emirates’ rulers court, the courts of the crown princes, the executive council in an emirate, or the cabinet.
The decision which was taken on Saturday, was the first vital change to the UAE nationality law No.17 of 1972 Nationality and Passports, provided a milestone in the Arab world, which mainly prevent the naturalization process to very limited cases and mostly band dual citizenship. The UAE has provided various steps recently to make sure the social stability of those with long time residency in the country and those who help to the wellbeing and development of the society through the introduction in 2019 of the permanent residency scheme, allowing to frant 5 and 10 years ‘Golden Visas’ to specific categories of residents. Thousands of people have been provided with the Gold Visa in the last two years, including investors, medical professionals, engineers, scientists, and specialized talents.
The new enforcements put the UAE on par with several developed nations that value the talents of expatriates by awarding them citizenship, making sure in the process their social stability and secure a future for them and their families in the country.